


Tripping

by thekatthatbarks



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff, Getting Together, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-18
Updated: 2018-08-18
Packaged: 2019-06-29 00:19:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15718053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thekatthatbarks/pseuds/thekatthatbarks
Summary: There seems to be distractions in Shikamaru's footing. There are times when he looks at Sakura and finds himself tripping, falling harder.





	Tripping

 

 

                “It’s over, Shika-kun.” Ino sighed as she collapsed beside him against the tent he was leaning against.

 

                Shikamaru spared her a glance and reached out to rest his hand on her knee comfortingly. He didn’t need to say anything. Ino understood the unspoken words and placed her hand over his, giving him a quick squeeze before pulling away. He moved away too, and his eyes wandered back to the tent across from them.

 

                Ino followed his gaze, seeing a brooding Sasuke, a half-screaming half-crying Sakura, and a beaming Naruto. She chuckled at the familiar scene, but when she noticed Shikamaru wasn’t smiling, she bumped her shoulder with his. “Be careful, Shikamaru. Your sulking is kinda making it a little obvious.”

 

                Shikamaru clicked his tongue against his cheek and tore his eyes away from the reunited Team 7. “Tch, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

                Ino didn’t reply for a while and they just sat there in a comfortable silence. Eventually, Choji found his way to them like they each of them had a habit of doing. Before he was in hearing distance, though, Ino told Shikamaru in a soothing voice, “She’ll come around.” Then, she was up and running over to Choji to throw her arms around him. He caught her with a loud laugh and held her close. The scene made Shikamaru feel better and he tried to be thankful for the ones he hadn’t lost.

 

***

 

                “Really, Shikamaru, it’s not like you to be this clumsy. What’s wrong with you?” Sakura scolded him for probably the dozenth time in the past ten minutes.

 

                Shikamaru didn’t respond right away and kept his arm over his face in the façade of being lazy, but really, he was just trying to hide his blushing face. He couldn’t believe he lost his footing and _sprained his ankle_ like some genin on their first mission.

 

It was just the two of them this time, a simple carrier mission. Sakura had Shikamaru lying on his back as she poked and prodded at his ankle, mumbling in annoyance under her breath, “I’d expect this kind of thing from _Naruto_. You know, I had been so excited to go on a mission with you, because what could go wrong with Shikamaru?”

Shikamaru sighed. _This was getting off to a wonderful start._ They’d barely left fire country when he slipped. He wondered if she was debating taking him back and picking up a new partner. He couldn’t blame her. “Sorry to disappoint.”

 

Sakura huffed as she wrapped his ankle. She’d already healed it, so he could walk, but she thought it would be nice just in case. “You didn’t – I just don’t understand how you just fell out of nowhere on this _smooth_ _road_.”

 

“I was… distracted,” Shikamaru answered lamely.

 

“By what?” Sakura asked as she started to repack her medical bag.

 

Images of the sunlight hitting Sakura’s hair and her smiling over her shoulder at him flashed through his mind. But all he said was, “A floating cloud.”

 

He didn’t have to look up to tell Sakura was rolling her eyes at him when she patted his leg and stood up. “Whatever you say, Shikamaru. You’re good now, let’s keep moving.”

 

Twenty miles later, Sakura laughed at something he hadn’t even meant as a joke and he barely missed a hole in the road.

 

*** 

 

 _Just ask her out. If you don’t think she’s going to say yes, then play it off as a couple friends catching up._ Choji’s actually sound advice rang in his head as he walked into the hospital. He’d been building up the courage the past few days and he was finally going to just go for it.

 

He found her on the third floor, luckily in the middle of her break in between her rounds. He held back a laugh when he walked into her office and found her leaning back in her chair staring up at the ceiling with her feet propped up on her desk. He knocked on the door with a small smile. “Deep thoughts, Sakura-chan?”

 

She looked up at the sound of his voice and blushed in embarrassment as she moved to sit upright in her chair. She laughed lightly and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “No, just taking a quick break. What’s up, Shikamaru?”

 

He waved his excuse at her and stepped towards her. “Hokage-sama wants you to sign off on Genma’s end of leave.”

 

Sakura took the folder from him and after looking over it for a second, signed it and handed it back. “Why does Kakashi have you running errands like this? Isn’t that a little above your pay grade?”

 

Shikamaru shrugged at her, remembering the knowing look Kakashi had given him earlier. “You know how he just shrugs things off to whoever happens to be standing nearby.”

 

Sakura nodded and glanced at her desk that was littered with paperwork. “Yeah, I wish I could do the same.”

 

Shikamaru leaned against her desk and raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t Shizune supposed to be sharing the workload with you?”

 

“Yeah, she switches off with me at six.” Sakura gave him a half smile. “But I’ve been trying to do most of it by myself. It’s how it’ll be when her and Tsunade leave in the spring.”

 

“Well, even ignoring the chaos of your desk, I think you’re handling it pretty well,” Shikamaru told her honestly. He’d always admired Sakura’s work ethic. Sometimes, he wished he had as much drive as she did, though he’d gotten better about that sort of thing over the years. He’d been worried when she picked up the position of hospital director while still remaining on the mission roster, but she’d somehow found a way to balance it all and not overwork herself. He didn’t know how she did it.

 

Sakura’s smile widened making his heart skip a beat, and she glanced down at her desk. “Thanks, Shikamaru. That’s very comforting to hear.”

 

“Just being honest.” He smiled down at her, feeling his stomach twist in knots when she looked up at him with that soft look of hers. “Hey, Sakura, I was wondering if you would – “

 

“Haruno-san!” A voice interrupted him from the doorway and they both turned to see a young medic standing there with a sly smile. She barely spared Shikamaru a glance before telling Sakura, “ _Uchiha-san_ just got back from his mission. Yoko-chan was looking after his injuries, but he keeps insisting for _you_ , so…”

 

Sakura offered her a polite smile and a nod, glancing at Shikamaru. “Okay, Misa-chan. Thank you. I’ll be there in a minute.”

 

Yoko finally looked over at Shikamaru and her previous excitement eased. She simply nodded before leaving the office. The whole exchange made Shikamaru feel out of place and left a bitter taste in his mouth. He lost his nerve and stepped towards the door, but then Sakura reached out and grabbed his hand. “Shikamaru, wait!”

 

He looked at her in surprise, but didn’t pull away. Her touch felt unsually warm where she held him. “Yes?”

 

She seemed just as surprised by her actions and hastily dropped his hand. He could’ve been wrong, but it almost looked like she was blushing as she asked with a cocked eyebrow, “Weren’t you going to ask me something?”

 

Shikamaru hesitated before shaking his head and slinking towards the door. “Oh, no, it was nothing.”

 

She gave him a small smile. “If you’re sure?”

 

He nodded at her, smiling back though he wasn’t sure how well he pulled it off. “Yeah, I’ll see you around, Sakura.”

 

Then, he left her office before she could say anything else. He’d heard the expression about “lead feet” but no one had ever told him your stomach could feel like that too.

 

*** 

 

                The small hand in his gave a light tug and he looked down to see Mirai staring up at him with her puppy dog eyes. Kiba was eventually going to regret teaching her that. He asked even though he already knew what she wanted, “What is it, Mirai-chan?”

 

                She stretched grabby hands towards him and demanded in the middle of the market, “Up!”

 

                Shikamaru sighed, but had a small smile on his face as he picked her up and put her on his shoulders. “You’re a big girl now, you know. I’m not going to be able to keep carrying you like this forever.”

 

                She giggled and combed her fingers through his hair. “But we can do it until you get _old_ like Kaka-sama.”

 

                Shikamaru chuckled as he looked over a vegetable stand. “Before _you_ get too old, not _me_.”

 

                She laughed and patted his head. “Silly Shika, same thing.”

 

                Shikamaru shrugged dramatically, making her laugh more as she gripped at his head to keep from falling. _Like he’d let her._ “If you say so, Mirai-chan.”

 

                As he walked, she started telling him about her new friends at the Academy. She had started only a week ago but had already found her own little niche. Shikamaru was happy she’d found some friends her own age. Not many of Kurenai’s friends had children, so Mirai didn’t grow up around other kids. Kurenai had been worried Mirai would have trouble in school but it seemed her worries had been for nothing. Mirai was adjusting well.

 

                Suddenly, Mirai squealed near his ear, “Sakura-ane!”

 

                Shikamaru looked in the direction the girl was waving her hand and spotted Sakura near the dumpling stand. Sakura looked up at the sound of her name, her eyes landing on them with a warm smile on her face making Shikamaru’s insides twist. Mirai tugged on his ponytail and Shikamaru got the message to start walking like some trained mule. His heart seemed like it raced more with each step.

 

                When they finally reached her, Sakura was just turning back from the food stand with fresh anko-dumplings in her hand. She quirked a smile at him and eyed Mirai on his shoulders. “Hey, Shikamaru, I don’t know if you know this, but it looks like you have a monkey on your back.”

 

                Shikamaru chuckled and reached up to poke curiously at Maria. “Really? I didn’t notice. I wonder how it got there.”

 

                Mirai giggled and tried to swat his hands away as Sakura stepped closer. She smirked. “Maybe you’re losing your touch, Shika.”

 

                Mirai laughed more and patted his head like she did earlier. “I _told_ you, you were getting old!”

 

                Sakura laughed at that and took a bite of her treat. She told Mirai, “But, Maria-chan, that just means _I’m_ getting old too.”

 

                Shikamaru could feel Mirai shrug and imagined her ‘ _What-cha gonna do?’_ face. Before he could say anything, Mirai leaned forward over Shikamaru’s head and pleaded, “Sakura-ane, can I have some?”

 

                “Mirai –“ Shikamaru began to scold her, but Sakura shook her head at him and put a hand on his arm. He could feel the warmth from her palm through his sleeve.

 

                “Sure, Mirai-chan, but you’ll need to get down. Shikamaru probably doesn’t want syrup in his hair.”

 

                “’Kay!” Mirai started to try and climb down herself and Shikamaru crouched so she could drop safely to the ground. It wasn’t a second later and she was making those puppy dog eyes at Sakura.

 

                Sakura laughed and gave her the other anko-dumplings she’d bought. Mirai chewed on them happily while Sakura tossed her trash in a nearby trashcan. When she turned back to him, she rolled her eyes and before Shikamaru could ask why, she reached up and smoothed down his hair. Shikamaru fought down a blush when she pulled away with a small smile. She laughed softly when her efforts were futile, and a few strands of his hair fell back out of his ponytail.

 

                “You look like a mess,” she teased him, making him bite back a smile.

 

                Shikamaru glanced down at Mirai who was watching them curiously, then leaned towards Sakura and whispered loudly, “Mirai can be a handful sometimes.”

 

                “Hey!” Mirai stomped her foot and pouted with syrup covered lips. “Kiba says I’m an _angel_.”

 

                “Of course, you are, Mirai-chan.” Shikamaru nodded at her with an appeasing smile that the little girl saw right through.

 

                “Shika! I _am_!” She whined, but she was smiling up at him on the verge of giggles.

 

                “I know.” He ruffled her hair giving her a more genuine smile and she leaned against his leg, happily going back to her dumplings.

 

                Sakura had been watching them with a soft smile on her face and when he turned back towards her, she cleared her throat and asked, “So, how long do you have the _angel_ for today?”

 

                Mirai answered for him, “Mama’s on a mission, so I’m going to Shika’s house for a sleepover.”

 

                Sakura raised an eyebrow at her. “Oh? That sounds fun.” She glanced to the side for a second before looking back at Shikamaru with a nervous smile. “Well, if you two would like,” – she held up a grocery bag – “I was probably going to make too much food for dinner, anyways?”

 

                Mirai started jumping up and down in excitement before Shikamaru could even stutter out a yes. “Yes!” She tugged on Shikamaru’s pant leg, probably getting syrup all over him. “Shika! Can we?”

               

                Sakura bit her lip and raised an eyebrow at Shikamaru. He felt a tightness in his chest as he replied as casually as he could, though he couldn’t hide his smile. “If it’s not too much trouble.”

 

                “Never would be.” Sakura’s answered and there seemed to be a double meaning there. But before he could catch on to it, Mirai started rambling on about how fun cooking with Sakura was going to be.

 

                “Naruto’s always saying how yummy Sakura-ane’s cooking is,” she told him excitedly as she peeked into one of Sakura’s grocery bags.

 

                Sakura snorted adorably. “That’s only because I asked Teuchi to teach me how to make ramen for Naruto’s birthday. Everything else I just wing.”     

 

                Mirai paused and then nodded slowly before turning and gesturing for Shikamaru to kneel down to her. When he did, she cupped her hands over her mouth and whispered to him in a voice she probably thought was very secretive. “If the food’s bad, can we pick up some on our way home?”

 

                Shikamaru laughed with a nod while Sakura made an indignant sound and put her hands on her hips. She gave Mirai a put-upon appalled face. “I heard that.”

 

Maria bit her lip and held up her hands innocently. “Heard what?”

 

***

 

Shikamaru glanced behind him at the sleeping child on the couch. She was still breathing softly with a sleepy smile on her face. Shikamaru smiled at the sight of her, wondering how long he should let her nap before taking her to his apartment.

 

Sakura interrupted his thoughts by sitting down beside him on the floor and handing him a cup of sake. She glanced at Mirai, who still had a coloring book laid open by her head. “With how energetic she is, I’m really not surprised she falls asleep so easily.”

 

“She probably wore herself out with all the excitement of having dinner with you,” Shikamaru told her with a fond smile, brushing some hair out of Maria’s face. She’d always really admired Sakura for as long as he could remember. Kurenai thought it was because Mirai wasn’t around too many women outside of herself, Ino, and Hinata. Shikamaru sometimes wondered though, if she was just picking up on something. _Weren’t kids supposed to be attuned to those kinds of things?_

 

When his eyes went back to Sakura, she was smiling down bashfully at her sake. She looked back up at him with a warm smile. “It was fun having you two over.”

 

Shikamaru returned her smile softly. “Yeah, it was.”

 

Sakura smiled into her cup and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. He didn’t usually see her like this, completely relaxed. She’d taken her hair down when they reached her apartment and had stepped away to change into something more comfortable; a loose red top and black shorts. Shikamaru imagined it was what she slept in and he didn’t know how to feel about her walking around like that with him here. On one hand, it just showed how comfortable she was around him. Then again, there was a such thing as _too comfortable_ , further proving Sakura just saw him as a friend and always would. But _maybe_ , Shikamaru was just overthink things like he often did when it came to Sakura.

 

She was still beautiful though. Her hair had that awkward kink in it from being in a ponytail all day, but it was cute on her. Whereas if you took down his hair, it would just be a mess of frizz. She’d grown her hair out over the years and it fell around her haphazardly with strands slipping into the neck of her shirt. The dim lighting made her tanned skin look warm and soft. He could see pale scars scattered across almost every patch of visible skin, even one across the left side of her chin that was barely noticeable. He knew some of the shinobi women tried to avoid scaring at all cost like Ino, but it seemed to be the least of Sakura’s worries, considering she was rivaling Kakashi in that department. He didn’t see why she would either. Her scars just added to how amazing she was. They showed what she’d been through, what _made_ her who she was now. While he could see why some people found her strength intimidating, he just saw it as admirable. Both her physical _and_ emotional strength. He felt like a lot of people liked to overlook the latter.

 

“Shikamaru?” Sakura’s amused voice brought him out of his mind. When he met her coy smile, he realized he’d been staring. He took a drink from his cup and hoped she didn’t notice his blush or at least thought it was from the alcohol.

 

He cleared his throat and said, “I was trying to figure out why Mirai likes you so much.”

 

Sakura huffed at that and punched him lightly on the arm with a laugh. “Because it’s so hard to?”

 

                Shikamaru laughed with her and shook his head. “Oh, shut up, you know how damn lovable you are.”

 

                Sakura’s cheeks had a faint pink to them as she leaned towards him with a playful smile. “Oh, do I?”

 

Shikamaru felt his face warm and his heart beat against his chest. He shrugged and laid his arm out on the couch behind him. He glanced away from her, not able to meet her eyes if he was about to be this obvious. “Come on, Sakura-chan. Everyone loves you. All the shinobi respect you and admire you. Kids look up to you as someone they want to be when they grow up. Officials take your opinion into thoughtful consideration. Your friends adore you and some would jump in front of a kunai for you, though you wouldn’t even need them to. You’re smart; practically able to bring the dead back to life and a good shoji opponent. You’re strong and powerful. The only people who would even have a chance with you in a fight is Sasuke and Naruto.” He sighed, a smile playing on his lips, his heart taking control over his mouth. “But you’re also so much more than all that. You’re _kind_ and compassionate. You care about people, about your friends, about your patients. You look out for people so much you forget to look out for yourself. You’re… it’s hard _not_ to love you, Sakura.”

 

There was a beat of silence after he finished that Shikamaru slowly realized how much he’d drawn on from his _own_ feelings about her to explain why she was likable to _everyone_. He felt more than a little anxious when he looked over at her with nervous smile. She was looking at him in awe, a deep blush on her cheeks with dimples as she smiled back at him. Shikamaru felt his heart skip a beat as she moved and then she was leaning against him with his arm behind her like he had planned it from the start.

 

She leaned her head against his shoulder, her hair tickling his neck. “You’re pretty _damn_ _lovable_ , too, Shika.”

 

Shikamaru chuckled softly and relaxed against her. He tried for a joke to help ease the tension in his chest. “You don’t feel like rambling on for an embarrassing amount of time to tell me why?”

 

Sakura chuckled with him and sighed. “Maybe next time.”

 

They stayed like that for a while and it just grew more comfortable the longer it lasted. Shikamaru’s heart eventually slowed and he wasn’t hyperaware of where Sakura’s body met his.

 

“Shikamaru, I –“ Sakura started to say and then was interrupted by the grumbling from Mirai as she woke up. “Shika…?”

 

Sakura moved away from Shikamaru as Mirai sat up and took a second to realize where she was. She looked sleepily at Shikamaru and then outstretched her hands. Shikamaru gave her an affectionate smile before standing and picking her up. She mumbled something into his chest after wrapping her arms around his neck but before he could ask, she was asleep again.

 

Sakura ran her fingers gently through Mirai’s hair. “You should probably take her home.”

 

                “Yeah,” Shikamaru replied back quietly, already making his way to the door. Sakura followed and opened the door for them.

 

Shikamaru looked back at her almost longingly, feeling like he should say _something_. But all he came up with was, “Thank you for dinner, Sakura-chan.”

 

Sakura smiled at him and pressed a kiss into Mirai’s hair. “Anytime, Shika.” Then, she closed the door with a soft click.

 

***

 

“So, Maria tells me you and Sakura are getting married?” Kurenai told him bluntly with a raised eyebrow in the middle of lunch – while he was drinking _hot tea_.

 

Shikamaru coughed and looked down at his vest where some of the tea had spilled. He glared at the woman across from him while he tried to catch his breath. He told her in between coughs, “You know – that’s not – true.”

 

Kurenai smirked as she took a sip of her tea. “Oh? I guess our darling Mirai just has the most vivid imagination then, huh?”

 

“ _Kurenai_.” Shikamaru sighed and dabbed helplessly at his vest with a napkin. “Don’t be troublesome.”

 

She shrugged and gave him an innocent look. “What? I’m not. I’m just curious.”

 

Shikamaru rolled his eyes at her. _Kurenai being curious was just another way of saying that she wasn’t going to let it go._ He sighed again and went back to his meal, not meeting her eyes. “There’s nothing going on between Sakura and I.”

 

“So, she _didn’t_ invite you and Mirai over for dinner the other night?” Kurenai asked with a knowing smile.

 

“She did,” Shikamaru grumbled, not offering up anything more. _Well if she was going to pry, he wasn’t going to make it easy for her._

 

Kurenai chewed her food thoughtfully and then told him, “You know, Mirai said you two were making ‘ _googly_ _eyes_ ’ at each other the whole time. I think she meant to say ‘gooey’ but I got the message.”

 

“We –“

 

“And you’re blushing, so I’m sure my daughter wasn’t under some genjutsu.” Kurenai smiled at him with a raised eyebrow.

 

His face reddened at the acknowledgement and he pinched the bridge of his nose. _He thought he’d be used to this by now after growing up with Ino, but he guessed not._ He groaned, looking at her exasperated, “Nothing _happened_.”

 

Kurenai nodded and didn’t say anything for a minute, as if the conversation was dropped, but he knew better. After a while, she asked him in a gentler voice, leaving her teasing edge out of it, “But you want something to, right?”

 

Shikamaru shrugged at her, not really up for lying to her but not wanting to get into this either.

 

“ _Shikamaru_.”

 

“Yes, okay? _Yes_.” He met her eyes, his nerves eating at him just talking about this like it was some fathomable possibility. “But maybe, it’s just not in the cards for us, alright? Maybe, I should just let it go because it’s not going to happen.”

 

Kurenai didn’t look at him startled like someone else might after seeing Shikamaru outburst. He so rarely let his emotions get the best of him like that. _He must really like her._ Kurenai had always had an inkling he did, but she hadn’t known for sure. That was until Mirai rambled on about how _cool it would be if Sakura-ane married Shika-kun_ when Kurenai came home from her mission.

 

She reached across the table and put a hand over Shikamaru’s. “I’m sorry, Shikamaru. I shouldn’t have teased you so much. I just want you to be happy.”

 

Shikamaru shook his head at her. “No, don’t apologize. I shouldn’t have… I’m sorry.” He sighed and rubbed at his temples. He offered her a shitty excuse. “I haven’t been sleeping well.”

 

Kurenai nodded, accepting the excuse even though he knew she didn’t believe it. She patted his hand comfortingly before going back to her meal. They moved on to lighter subjects; Shikamaru applying for Jounin Commander, Mirai’s school, Kurenai’s latest mission. When he walked her home afterwards, she told him one last thing, “Just don’t fold, Shikamaru.”

 

***

 

“I can walk by myself!” Shikamaru heard a frustrated voice yell and recognized it instantly. He quickened his pace and sure enough when he turned the corner was Sakura leaning heavily into Kiba. She was limping and Kiba looked like he was torn between dealing with her grumbling and throwing her to the ground.

 

“Obviously, _not_ , Sakura. Just let me help you,” Kiba argued with his arm still wrapped around her shoulders. “We’re not even that far from the hospital. Just _put up_ with it and let me carry you properly.”

 

Sakura was about to bite something back at him when Shikamaru decided he should step in before they started fighting in the middle of the street. They were good friends but had certain similarities that made them bump heads a lot. Shikamaru tried to shrug off his worry as he walked towards them with a chuckle. “Having some trouble there, Kiba?’

 

Kiba looked over at him almost in relief and immediately handed Sakura to him. Shikamaru caught her and she glared at both of them, grumbling under breath. Kiba avoided her eyes and told him, “She probably broke her leg on our way back but she’s low on chakra, so I didn’t let her heal herself – “

 

“ _Let_?” Sakura started to interject with a threat in her voice but Kiba just talked over her.

 

“ – I was taking her to the hospital but I’m sure she likes you more, so maybe you won’t get your head bitten off.”

 

He started to step away and Sakura scoffed, though she was obviously happy Kiba was finally leaving. “I can’t believe you’re just _handing_ me off to someone else!”

 

Kiba patted her cheek. “You know I love you, Sakura, but face it ten more feet and we would have killed each other.”

 

Sakura rolled her eyes and mumbled, “Asshole,” as he ran off. He called over his shoulder, “I’ll come check on you when I get back!”

 

Shikamaru wrapped an arm around her waist and she put her hands on his chest as she leaned on to her good foot. They met each other’s eyes and then both blushed, looking away.

 

Shikamaru took a tentative step forward and Sakura limped with him. “You know, I _can_ get there by myself.” Shikamaru noticed she used a softer voice with him than she did Kiba and he tried not to feel too good about it.

 

Shikamaru shrugged. “Yeah, but then I won’t get to hear about how you broke your leg on the way _back_.”

 

Sakura muttered something under her breath and Shikamaru glanced at her face to see it was edging on the color of a beat. He leaned closer to her and asked, “What was that, Sakura-chan?”

 

She looked up at him with a glare and then, huffed. “I _tripped_ , okay? I _tripped over a log_.”

 

Shikamaru didn’t say anything, feeling laughter bubbling at his lips. He tried to swallow it as best as he could and grinned. “Are you always so _clumsy_?”

 

Even being half-carried, Sakura was still able to hit him in the shoulder. “Oh, don’t you _even_ – _I_ didn’t trip over _nothing_ like _you_ did.”

 

Shikamaru chuckled and raised an eyebrow at her. “Yeah, but I didn’t _break my leg_.”

 

Sakura looked away from him, but he could see her small smile. “Oh, _screw_ you, Nara.”

 

They walked slowly towards the hospital. Shikamaru tried to be as slow as he could while still coming off as just being lazy, so Sakura wouldn’t feel self-conscious. She was more than a little worn out from her mission, especially considering the broken limb and Kiba saying she was low on chakra. He tried to not let his concern show too much, though.

 

“Was it just you and Kiba?”

 

Sakura shook her head, her eyes on her feet – well, _foot_. “We had a couple of chunnins with us. One of them got messed up really bad and I had to use a lot of chakra to just keep him alive. It’s why I was trying to get Kiba to leave me to myself. The chunnins stopped a while back with Akamaru and we went on to send word for a couple medics. Kiba would probably be able to move faster than any of them and he could get him to the hospital sooner, though, so I’m glad you came by.”

 

Shikamaru returned her smile when she glanced at him, then he told her, “It’d probably be faster if you let me _carry_ you, you know.”

 

Sakura laughed. “Uh, no, that’s not happening.”

 

Shikamaru looked at her offended. “I know I’m not like Kiba but I _can_ pick you up and –“

 

“That’s not why,” Sakura interrupted him with a frown. “It’s just… a little demeaning.”

 

Shikamaru rolled his eyes at her but he couldn’t say he was surprised. He stopped them and turned her in his arms, so she had to meet his eyes. “Sakura, you’re an _injured shinobi_. There’s nothing to be ashamed about.”

 

She bit her lip and then sighed with a shrug. “Fine but take the roofs.”

 

Shikamaru swept Sakura up into his arms and she instantly buried her face in his vest. Shikamaru did as he was told and leapt to the roofs, wondering if Sakura would be able to hear his heartbeat from where her head was resting. _Maybe she’d blame it on the running…_

 

                He’d dropped down to the doors of the hospital and Sakura, who had been quiet the whole minute it took to get there, hit at his chest. “Put me down, Shika.”

 

                He was about to argue with her – _why not just carry her the whole way?_ – when he looked down at her and saw her flushed face. He nodded and put her on her feet, keeping an arm wrapped around her waist. He walked her into the hospital and Sakura tried her best to look like she was walking on her own as they approached the front desk.

 

                The nurse there stood up and rushed around the counter to worry at Sakura. “Haruno-san! What happened!?”

 

                Sakura gave her a tight smile and shook her head, leaning away from Shikamaru. “Kiki, I am _fine_. Just a little… chakra depleted and… a broken leg…” Her voice grew quieter as she talked.

 

                Sakura cringed when Kiki called out for a medic in a panicked tone. When one came, his eyes grew a little wide at seeing Sakura look so worn out. Though Sakura tried to convince him to let her walk on her own – even resorting to her _I’m in charge here, you know_ tone – he ignored her and simply took her from Shikamaru and started to lead her down the hallway.

 

                Shikamaru followed them, listening to their hushed conversation that was quickly growing louder the more they argued. After a second, he realized the medic was _scolding_ Sakura and while she looked agitated by it, she wasn’t exactly telling him off for it like Shikamaru would think. Shikamaru hated himself for it, but he couldn’t help but feel an ounce of jealousy at their obvious closeness. _Who was he, anyway?_

As he looked over the man, though, his jealousy slipped away. He wasn’t a _man_ , really; he looked like he was _maybe_ sixteen years old. He heard Sakura say, “Takeo-kun,” and it clicked. _He was Sakura’s apprentice._ Shikamaru vaguely remembered her telling him about it a couple years back. She’d taken him on after he graduated from the academy, so he must be around his third year with her.

 

                Shikamaru glanced around them as he walked to see various medics giving Sakura double-takes and pausing in their steps. It made him realize why Sakura hadn’t wanted to be carried in here. It was probably a little bit of her pride, considering many of the medics now were her students and even then, everyone worked under her. But Shikamaru thought it was probably mostly just that she didn’t want to worry everyone. _Like he’d said, everyone loved her._

***

 

Shikamaru had been on his way back to the Hokage Tower when Kiba caught sight of him. He’d obviously been heading to the hospital but stopped when he saw Shikamaru and changed directions towards him. Akamaru was right beside him. “They fix Sakura up?”

 

Shikamaru nodded, thinking back to the grumpy woman he’d left behind. “Yeah, her leg’s good as new now, but they’re going to keep her for a few days because of her chakra depletion.”

 

Kiba started walking with him with a wide grin “I bet she wasn’t too happy about that.”

 

“No, she wasn’t. I had to get out of there before she started threatening me to kidnap her.” Shikamaru chuckled. It had been a little entertaining, though, to watch Sakura arguing with a kid to let her go home. Shikamaru had been surprised she didn’t just ignore them and went anyway, but he supposed it had to do with some respect that she held for Takeo.

 

Kiba laughed and was quiet for a moment before he asked Shikamaru bluntly, “So, are you and Sakura like a _thing_?”

 

Shikamaru felt his breath catch and prayed that he wasn’t blushing as he all but spluttered, “What? No.”

 

It seemed to be the kind of reaction Kiba had been hoping for since he smirked. But he at least saved him _some_ embarrassment and looked away from him. He shrugged. “I was just wondering.”

 

Before Shikamaru could make an excuse to part ways, Kiba turned to him and said, “You know, earlier I think I heard something about you tripping over _nothing_. What’s that about?”

 

 _Stupid dog hearing._ Shikamaru sighed. “We went on a mission a few months ago and I got distracted and lost my footing.”

 

Kiba chuckled and crossed his arms behind his head. “Funny, I think Sakura was distracted when she tripped too.”

 

Shikamaru glanced at him. “Yeah?”

 

“We were talking about you.” Kiba shrugged at him with a shit-eating grin, before abruptly turning around and heading towards the hospital with Akamaru in his steed.

 

Shikamaru stopped in his tracks and stared after them. _Wait, what?_

***

When Shikamaru walked into the bar, he debated walking right back out of it but Ino had already caught sight of him and was waving him over. He sighed, trying to keep his eyes from wandering over to Sakura and Sasuke sitting at the bar, and walked over to the booth Choji and Ino were at. Ino – even though she liked to act oblivious, always noticed everything – caught on to where his attention had wandered and moved so her head would block his view of them. Nor her or Choji commented on it though, _thankfully_.

 

They managed to keep his mind off things like they always did. They were his best friends and they were good at keeping him out of his own head. But eventually, his eyes started to glance behind Ino. Maybe it was out of curiosity or _maybe he was just turning into a masochist_. They were arguing about something in hushed toned that would steadily get louder until Sakura would hit Sasuke’s arm probably telling him to shut up, though it looked like Sakura was the one who was getting loud. Sasuke looked annoyed, but that was kind of his default setting.

 

Ino must’ve been in a good mood because she didn’t try and get him to talk about his wandering eyes like she did most nights. She just angled her head back into his view and tried to get him to join back in on the conversation, which he did if only because he was probably being rude. But then, he heard an almost yell, “Sasuke! _Don’t you dare._ ”

 

                When Shikamaru and Ino looked over, Sasuke was walking towards them with Sakura behind him, tugging on his arm. “I swear to – “

 

                Sasuke talked over her threat when they reached Shikamaru’s table. “Hey, so Sakura’s been drinking a little too much. One of you think you can walk her home?” He spoke to the whole table, but his eyes were on Shikamaru.

 

                Shikamaru met his eyes, wondering what was going on. He didn’t ask him why _he_ couldn’t walk her home since Sakura was right there and already looked pissed off at being treated like a child. _It wasn’t like Shikamaru would ever mind walking her home, anyways._ Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him and Shikamaru shrugged, glancing wearily at the fuming woman. “Yeah, uh, sure.”

 

                He got up from the table and Sakura grabbed his sleeve, her cheeks red. “Shikamaru, you don’t – Sasuke was just being – “

 

                Sasuke interrupted her, making her glare return to him. He ignored it, his eyes still on Shikamaru and a smirk growing on his face. “I’m leaving for a mission in a couple hours and still need to go home to prepare for it.”

 

                Shikamaru nodded, feeling like he wasn’t being let in on something when they met each other’s eyes and seemed to share a silent conversation before Sasuke walked out of the bar.

 

                After he was gone, Sakura turned back to him with a flushed smile. “Really, Shikamaru, I don’t need you to walk me home.”

 

                Shikamaru shrugged and gave her a smile before gently grabbing her elbow and nudging her towards the door. “Don’t worry about it, Sakura-chan.” He told Choji and Ino goodbye, who both gave him knowing looks with Ino winking, before they left the bar.

 

                Out in the cool night air, Sakura’s skin cooled down and she gave Shikamaru a soft smile as they walked down the road. She glanced away from him and down at her feet. “I don’t know why Sasuke told you that. I can handle my liquor and definitely don’t need an _escort_ home.”

 

                Shikamaru smiled at her, but doubted it reached his eyes. “Maybe he was just worried,” he told her, though it sounded odd even as he was saying it.

 

                Sakura snorted and shook her head but didn’t say anything else, her arm brushing his as they walked. It was a cool night, the light breeze playing with the ends of Sakura’s hair and chilling the tips of Shikamaru’s ears. Sakura switched back and forth between looking up at the stars and glancing over at him biting her lip. It was like she was debating telling him something, but he didn’t know what it would be.

 

                Though their quiet walk was comfortable, Shikamaru longed for her voice and her laugh. While he didn’t think it’d make her laugh, he asked her the only thing he could think of. “I noticed you guys were arguing. Were you having a lovers’ spat?”

 

                Sakura met his eyes with a raised eyebrow and _laughed_. “Yeah, because Sasuke and I would have anything close to a _lovers’ spat_.”

 

                Shikamaru forced his feet to not stop as his mind tried to process that. He _had_ known they weren’t dating, but that wasn’t how Sakura used to respond to the insinuation. She used to fumble and blush scarlet, saying they weren’t there _yet_. But she had just _laughed it off_. Shikamaru tried to remember the last time it was brought up and she acted like that, but he was surprised when he couldn’t think of anything after they turned eighteen.

 

He didn’t say anything in response and a couple minutes later, Sakura shrugged and answered him, “He was trying to talk me into doing something I’ve been wanting to.”

 

Shikamaru glanced at her curiously with a small smile. Sakura was always more open when she had been drinking, more carefree. “Yeah?”

 

                She smiled back at him with a soft laugh. “Yeah.”

 

                Shikamaru rolled his eyes and bumped her arm with his. He asked her a different question than the one that was on the tip of his tongue, not knowing if she’d answer. “Why haven’t you done it?”

 

                She shrugged and looked up at the sky. “I… “ She let out a deep breath. “I guess, I just keep thinking it’ll work itself out.”

 

                “And Sasuke thinks you should just… push it along?” Shikamaru played along with the vagueness, wondering if she’ll eventually tell him what it was exactly they were talking about.

 

                Sakura looked over at him with a smile. “Yeah. I think he’s getting second hand impatience by my waiting.”

 

                “Do you feel impatient?”

               

                Sakura shrugged and pursed her lips. “A little, but I don’t mind waiting.” She rubbed at her bare arms and mumbled, “Mostly feel cold.”

 

                Shikamaru chuckled and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer. She glanced up at him with a faint pink dusting her cheeks and an amused smile as she wrapped her arm around his waist, leaning into him. “Better?”

 

                She laughed softly. “Yes, Shika, thank you.”

 

                “Troublesome woman.”

 

                She hit him lightly in the chest and he laughed, squeezing her arm. They walked in comfortable silence for a while and then Sakura looked up at him with a wide smile. “I stopped by Kurenai’s the other day ago.”

 

                Shikamaru felt his heart rate pick up, thinking about what Kurenai told him the last time he saw her. He tried to sound calm when he replied, “Yeah?”

 

                She hummed, then let out a light laugh and looked down at her feet. “Apparently, Mirai’s been talking about me.”

 

                _Kurenai wouldn’t have…_

Sakura looked at him with a raised eyebrow and Shikamaru wondered if she was able to feel his panic through his skin. Then, she said, “Were you aware she’s been going around telling people Sakura-ane could be an amazing cook if she just tried a little harder?”

 

                Shikamaru forced out a chuckle instead of a relieved sigh. “No, I hadn’t heard.”

 

                “She told me the dinner was good, but I could use some work. Though she did try to soften the blow by saying watching me act like I knew what I was doing was fun.”

 

                Shikamaru’s laugh came more naturally this time. Maria had never bothered with holding anything back, just like her mother. “Kids are so brutally honest.”

 

                Sakura poked him in the side. “Are you saying you agree I could _use_ _some work_ , too, Shika?”

 

                Shikamaru rolled his eyes and said, “Your cooking is _fine_ , Sakura. I could probably eat it for the rest of my life,” before his mouth could stop him. His feet almost faltered in their walk when his head caught up with what he’d said.

 

                Sakura’s sly voice interrupted his panic – or well, _increased_ it, really. “What a proposal, Shikamaru.”

 

                Shikamaru internally groaned and was thankful his deep blush was probably hidden in the dark. He glanced at her to see her watching him with an amused smile. He huffed before trying to backtrack. “I didn’t – Sakura, I wasn’t – “

 

                She laughed and tugged him closer to her with the arm she had wrapped around his waist. “ _Relax_ , Shika, I was just _teasing_ you.”

 

                Shikamaru snapped his mouth shut and let out a nervous laugh to ease the tightness in his chest. He looked away from her and down the street, even more aware of where he was touching her. “Right.”

 

                “Not that I’d mind, though,” She told him in a softer voice.

 

                Shikamaru swallowed thickly and glanced down at her, but she wasn’t looking his away. Instead, her head was tilted up slightly to look at the sky, a faint blush dusting her cheeks as she smiled. _She was so beautiful._

 

                He hoped his voice didn’t sound as nervous as he felt when he asked, “You wouldn’t?”

 

                She finally met his eyes, her smile dimming slightly but it was still warm. She let out a breath and it felt warm against his skin like he imagined her smile would. “Not at all.”

 

                Before he could reply, Sakura glanced away. “Don’t be so surprised. You know how damn lovable you are.”

 

                Shikamaru bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing from the lightness in his chest. They’d reached the doorstep to Sakura’s apartment and she turned in his arms but didn’t step away from him. She looked up at him with a sparkle in her eye and Shikamaru wondered how she could suddenly make everything feel so natural. Despite his earlier doubts, even he wasn’t blind to what she was doing.

 

                He stepped closer to her, pressing her against the door and her other hand moved to rest against his chest but she didn’t push him back. He leaned his forehead against hers and felt his heart race when her eyes flickered to his lips. He asked her with a smile, “Oh do I?”

 

                Sakura looked like she wanted to laugh as her hand trailed up to the back of his hand. She told him cheekily if not a little breathless, “Yeah, do you want me to ramble on for an embarrassing amount of time to tell you why?”

 

                Shikamaru chuckled and replied against her lips, “Maybe next time.”

 

                She kissed him and Shikamaru wondered how he’d ever be able to pull himself away from her.

 

***

 

                Sakura having a cup of tea with Kurenai when Mirai ran over and dropped down beside her. “What color is your kimono going to be?”

 

                Sakura looked at her confused and glanced at Kurenai who only shrugged with a smile. She turned back to Mirai. “What kimono?”

 

                Mirai held out her hands to her dramatically. “For the wedding!”

 

                “What wedding, Mirai-chan?” Sakura just grew more confused as the little girl looked at her like she was being difficult. It was eerily similar to looks Ino gave her sometimes and she wondered if Ino had been coming by to play with her more.

 

                Mirai jumped up and put her hands on her hips. “ _Yours_ , Sakura-ane, with _Shika-kun_!”

 

                Sakura spluttered and felt her skin heat, while Kurenai burst out laughing across from her.


End file.
